Wings Around Britian
Cadets and staff from 1701 (Johnstone) Squadron met record breaking round-the-world aviator Polly Vacher as she touched down at Glasgow Airport as part of her 'Wings Around Britain' challenge.
Between May and the end of July Polly will be visiting each of the 206 airfields that feature in the official manual of British airfields to help promote and raise sponsorship for Flying Scholarships for the Disabled.
Flying Officer Pauline Gallagher and 12 cadets from 1701 (Johnstone) Squadron, Air Training Corps greeted Polly as she touched down in her Piper Dakota. Following an interview with the STV Scotland Today programme Polly invited Pauline, a former scholarship winner herself, on a brief flight before continuing with her busy schedule.
Flying Officer Pauline Gallagher, who suffers from cerebral palsy successfully completed her Flying Scholarship in 2004 and is working toward achieving her Private Pilots License in the near future. She said: "The Flying Scholarship for the Disabled is a charity dedicated to helping disabled people to discover their true potential through the mental and physical stimulation of learning to fly a light aircraft."
Each year more than 200 applicants for 10-14 coveted full scholarship places awarded each year. Once selected for the full scholarship students complete a six-week residential course, including 40 hours of airborne tuition and ground school training in South Africa.
For more information about Polly Vacher and the Flying Scholarships for the Disabled please follow the links below.
www.worldwings.org
www.reachforthesky.org.uk